Sermons upon the Book of Job

Or if we see our miseries to endure long, and that God showeth us not after what sort he will make us way out: let us shut our eyes and say, well Lord, true it is that thou wilt hold me like a poor blind soul in darkness. Yea: but where is my comfort in the mean while? My comfort is to pray God to give me eyes, not only to behold present things, but also to know those things by faith which are hidden from me as now. Behold (say I) how we must deal: not to say as Job doth, I see there is no remedy left for me: for the man that speaketh so, is after a sort in despair. For we must not limit Gods power, though a thing seem impossible to our selves. He saith, When I lay me down, I ask when shall I rise again? And in the morning I say, when will it be night? Let us note that this is set down to show that a conscience which ⟨p. 139⟩is pressed with Gods judgement, is always troubled and in an agony. Behold after what sort Moses speaketh in treating of Gods dreadful vengeance upon such as shall continue wilfully in disobeying of Gods law. Thy life (saith he) shall hang before thee as upon a thread. In the morning thou shalt say, who shall make me to live till the evening? But Job speaketh here of the temptation that he himself feeleth, that is to wit that he thought the nights too long, and the days too wearisome, according as he said. One day is longer to me than a whole year, yea than §10a mans whole life, I do nothing but pine away, not only in some ordinary miseries, but also in so horrible torments, that I faint under Gods hand. Now when we see that this temptation is come upon Job: let us have recourse to the remedy which I have touched: that is to wit, to call to mind that it is Gods peculiar charge to dispose of us and of all our miseries: And therefore, doth the time seem long to us? Let us pray God to make us think well of all that he doth. For otherwise what else shall we do but only provoke God as Job doth? Not that he is §20willing to do so: but yet in the mean season he ceaseth not to be blameworthy for the words that have escaped him so unadvisedly, which he hath cast forth against God in such wise as if he meant to spite him. Therefore let us turn back again and say, how now? Is it in thee to appoint times? Is not that in the hand of thy God? wilt thou take his office from him?